Lingering Touch
by J.Louise
Summary: He reached for my face and kissed me.A gentle,lingering touch of our lips,a hesitation on both parts as they touched,as if we were both taking the time to memorize the feeling before we part,probably for good."You have to go now.Save the others,be a hero.


_Poems in this aren't written by me. I'm not sure who they are written by but they are very beautiful and very appropriate. _

_Please review! :D_

_**Save the others, be a hero**_

We watched in horror as Katniss tied the thin, long wire to the end of the arrow. She looked deeply confused but determined. What is she doing? She shot the wire and the arrow up into the sky until it hit something. The whole arena buzzed and electrified. Everyone fell to the ground, grunting in pain. Peeta threw Brutus's dead carcass off him, disgust apparent in his face.

Katniss was paralysed, she won't escape from this.

_Oh no._

Suddenly a hovercraft descended into the arena and picked Katniss's body up. She looked limp and unconscious. I wondered who it was, and why they were saving her. It was a Capitol hovercraft, you can tell from the Capitol's seal that is painted on the side. Straight after it picked up Finnick's mangled body and finally Beetee's. Then it just flew off, as fast as it came. I wondered where they were taking them?

_Oh god._

What about Peeta? I don't care about the others; Johanna betrayed Katniss and Enobaria was a nasty career. Luckily, they were taken by another hovercraft that flew in the opposite direction. Weird.

I heard our doorbell ring. I wondered who it could be. It's mandatory viewing right now so everyone really should be watching the television. I was the only one in the house watching the games right now. I stood up and answered it, fearing it was Peacekeepers checking that we were all watching the television. Actually and surprisingly it was Gale. He looked out of breath and windswept, most likely from running a long way from the Seam.

"Hey Gale." He signalled for me to be quiet with his finger to his lips. I did what I was told. I don't tend to disobey orders very often.

"Madge, you need to leave." He said with urgency. "They are dropping bombs in the south of the district." By "they" I assume he meant the Capitol. Of course he meant the Capitol! We are going to be killed! "The hovercrafts will be here soon. Quick Madge!" He paused. "Meet me in the meadow as soon as you can. Please Madge." He pleaded. How could I argue with those beautiful grey eyes?

"Okay, go and save the others Gale." He nodded but paused.

"I love you Madge."

"I love you too Gale." He reached for my face and kissed me. It was perfect. A gentle, lingering touch of our lips, a hesitation on both parts as they touched, as if we were both taking the time to memorize the feeling before we part, probably for good. I wished we had forever but I know I'm not going to make it to the meadow. I was holding Gale back, I realised. "Gale you have to go now. Save the others, be a hero." He nodded a gripped my hand.

"Please Madge. Please try. I know you can't leave your family, but try. For me if not for anyone else."

I nodded. "I promise Gale, now hurry!"

He nods and runs off. I let a single, silent tear slide down my face as I see him running off.

Suddenly all of the lights went out and the house was eerily silent. The television was no longer on. I ran as fast as I could upstairs to find my mother. I couldn't leave her here to die.

"Mom!" I yelled, desperation very clear in my voice. "Mom?" I screeched. I ran into my mother and father's bedroom. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. I tripped over several times, whilst screaming hysterically, until I felt the bedframe press against my thighs. "Mom!" I yelled, shaking her frame, just begging her to be aware. _Oh No!_ She's under the influence of Morphling. "Dad!" I screeched. "Dad!"

"Madge?" I heard my dad yell, panic in his voice from all of my yelling. He came up the stairs. Obviously having no idea what's going on. He walked so slowly, like we have all of the time in the world. "What's the problem?" He said calmly.

"We're being bombed!" I yelled at him. His face fell. "Help me grab Mom and take her to the meadow!"

I saw panic flash in his eyes. It reminded me of when I was a young child, when he wasn't the mayor and actually had time for me, something that he rarely has nowadays. It reminded me of when I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle. I still remember that day as clear as crystal. He fixed me up and carried me to bed, next to my mother, who was asleep after a long day filled with headaches.

I only have one memory when my mother didn't have a headache. It was Christmas and I was young. My mother looked youthful and worry free. She skipped into the room with Christmas presents overflowing her arms. She smiled at me and I giggled. My father was grinning at her and laughing as well.

My father shook my mother desperately, trying to wake her up. "Philly, Daniel!" He called downstairs. "Help please, quickly." Philly and Daniel, the maid and the chef sprinted upstairs.

"What's wrong sir?" Philly asked, her face a little red from sprinting.

"Bombings are coming, help Madge and I lift Emily."

Philly let out a yelp. "My family!" She yelped.

"I'm sure Gale will get them out Philly." I reassured her. Daniel looked shifty.

My father and Daniel grabbed my mother by lifting her under her arms. Philly and I grabbed her ankles. We got to the top of the stairs. It is a spiral staircase so it's going to be difficult. Philly looked at me and I nodded. We lifted mother's ankles higher and starter to put more effort into it. I was determined to save everyone if I can.

"Good work girls." My father complimented. It encouraged me and gave me some adrenaline. Right now I hate the Capitol for doing this to us. District twelve hasn't even rebelled and the Capitol has bombed us over the rebelling districts. Probably to get to Katniss.

Suddenly Daniel flipped out; he dropped my mother and punched my father in the jaw knocking him out. The jolt of the action made Philly and I drop my mother's ankles and made us lose our balance and slip down the stairs. I grunted in agony as I felt something in my ankle shift. It reminded me of the time when I fell down the stairs…except this time my father isn't here to save me. Daniel leaped over me but I grabbed his ankle, making him trip and smack his face against the wooden floor. He kicked me in the face and it sent my whole head flying backwards. Something in my back clicked and it was absolutely agonising. My father was unconscious. No, No, No. This cannot be happening.

A huge lump of ceiling caved in then landing on my father's body. I gasped and made my way over to him, he was bleeding, a lot. There was no way we were getting out now. We would only have a matter of minutes, if not seconds left to get out. I started to cry hysterically.

Someone grabbed my ankle. I looked up quickly and saw my mother look into my eyes.

"Madge, what's going on?" She asked.

"Bombings Mom." I sighed and cried at the same time. It sounded like a strange, strained sob. "I think Daddy might be dead."

She let out a sob. "Madge, there's no way I'm going to be getting out of this. Go Madge, run!"

I shook my head no.

"Madge! You have to! You understand me. You've got lots of life left in you." She shook her head. "My life is just as waste and it has been for a long time now." I shook my head.

"No Mom, you know that isn't true." I cried.

"But it is Madge. You have to go. Now, before it's too late." She squeezed my hand tight. "Go Madge. I love you." Her hand went limp and I cried out in agony, not just the physical kind, the emotional kind. In the matter of thirty seconds I have lost both of my parents. I have lost my reason for existing, except for Gale…

"Madge! Madge!" I heard Gale cry from outside my house. I rolled over onto my stomach to peer at him through the doorway. "Why aren't you out yet?" He screamed. "Get to the meadow!"

I gave him one last smile before the roof caved in with an explosion.

_You are my air  
The sun in my day  
The moon in my night  
The spring in my step  
You are my everything._

You are the stars in the sky  
The birds in the trees  
The shimmer, the sparkle, the shine.

Without the light you put into my life  
I would be nothing  
A single leaf on the ground in autumn,  
Lost, forgotten, alone.

Before I knew you,  
I was nothing.  
Now I am everything,  
With you at my side,  
I am invincible!

Feel the same my baby,  
You are loved so much,  
I love you now and forever  
You are my darling, my baby, my love  
You are my everything  
I love you so much.

It was a normal looking day in District Twelve but tragic events were about to unfold. True love was about to be torn to bits, to shreds. Quite literally. True love between two people that didn't even realise their love for each other. Everything seemed quite normal, the mockingjays were singing, people were indoors, watching the five o'clock mandatory viewing but the unexpected was about to happen.

Gale Hawthorne had his suspicions about his kind of thing. He knew that the Capitol would find every possible way of destroying Katniss whether it would be physical, emotional or just mental pain. When the bombs started to fall out of the hovercrafts his worst nightmares were confirmed. He evacuated his family, his neighbours and Katniss's family. He had evacuated the whole Seam and then he remembered, Madge.

He sprinted as fast as he could to the Mayor's house. He was out of breath and tired when he arrived but he had to keep going. He kissed her, goodbye or good luck. Hopefully the last one. But he couldn't help her; he knew she could do this he knows she can.

He doesn't know he is wrong.

_So often when I am embracing you,  
It seems that you exist in this world  
only because of me and I exist because of you._

He is running, he is warning everyone about the bombings, telling them to run to the meadow. After about ten minutes he sees a bomb graze the Mayor's house. He has to check it, to make sure she is out. He loves her, he has to know.

"Madge!" He shouts. "Madge!"

He panics when he sees her just lying on the floor, smiling at him. "Why aren't you out yet?" He screams so loud he feels the vibrations in his brain. "Get to the meadow!" He called from the doorway. He watches her roll over, onto her stomach and smile at him sweetly. It stops his heart. She is too beautiful for her own good.

In his heart he knows she has given up.

_I'm running out of time.  
My eyes are crimson red,  
My heart is burning sore.  
And by the look of my arms,  
I can't do this anymore. _

The roof caves in and he is thrown backwards, the impact could have killed him. But it didn't. It killed Madge. It killed Madge.

He repeats this over and over in his head he wonders back to the meadow. Tears filling his eyes he remembers some of her last words to him, "Save the others, be a hero."

And that is what he will do.


End file.
